Bell’s Nursery Owners Chosen as 2025 Farm Family of the Year
Greenery flourishes under glass at the DeArmoun Road location of Bell’s Nursery and Gifts.
Photo Credit: Scott Rhode | Alaska Business
Local growers of hydroponic vine-ripened tomatoes and cucumbers sold at Carrs, Fred Meyer, Walmart, and Three Bears stores and distributed by Charlie’s Produce, DiTomaso, and US Foods are Alaska’s Farm Family of the Year for 2025. Mike Mosesian and his family own and operate Mosesian Farms of Alaska, better known as Bell’s Nursery and Gifts.
Grown Fresh Year ‘Round
From three locations in Anchorage—on Specking Avenue, DeArmoun Road, and Cranberry Street—Bell’s supplies Alaska Grown tomatoes and English cucumbers to major retailers throughout the state, as well as poinsettias during the holiday season. Bell’s garden nursery offers hanging baskets, tubs, trees and shrubs, and garden starts.
Mosesian grew up in Bakersfield, California, where his family farmed 1,000 acres of table and wine grapes, producing wine and raisins. While in California, Mosesian went to school for viticulture. In 1972, Mosesian moved to Alaska, and he founded Bell’s Nursery just four years later. He continues his California tradition at Bell’s Vineyard, cultivating an acre and a half of grapes for locally produced wine.
Current Issue
August 2025
Mosesian has six children and ten grandchildren. His daughter Nicole Syren is the company’s accountant, his son-in-law Stefan Schirda is the crop manager, and his daughter Marie-Louise Schirda does social media marketing. Several of his grandchildren work seasonally during summer vacations, making four generations of farmers in their family.
“Mike Mosesian and his family have an inspiring story to tell in Alaskan agriculture,” says Bryan Scoresby, director of the Alaska Division of Agriculture. “Their food crops make our tables brighter, and their flowers warm our hearts and minds. Adding grapes makes for year-round growing operations. Who said you cannot grow inside a greenhouse year-round? Mike does and has proven that it can be done with profit in mind.”
Since the beginning, Bell’s Nursery has grown annual plants in the greenhouse and offers outdoor hanging baskets that can be custom ordered in the fall for a spring pickup. Bell’s Nursery is well known for its poinsettias, which begin growing in nurseries in July so they are ready by Christmas time. Over the years, the nursery has expanded to include a gift shop and coffee bar, making it a popular shopping destination.
“I like the challenge of farming in Alaska and the ability to grow produce that is picked ripe, packed, and delivered to the customer daily,” Mosesian says. “We are able to deliver a fresh, vine-ripened product to a market that is saturated by produce from the Lower 48 that is not fresh.”
Scoresby observes, “Their business model provides generations of Alaskans with hard and honest work opportunities, with more to come.”
Mosesian says his goals for the business include expanding the vineyard to increase winery production.
The Farm Family of the Year award was established in 2000 by the Alaska Division of Agriculture and the Alaska State Fair, with sponsorship provided by Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union, to honor an Alaska farm family that best epitomizes the spirit of the industry, nominated by members of the agriculture community.
“Every Year, The Alaska State Fair celebrates the important history of agriculture in our state, while showcasing the hard work and dedication of Alaska’s farming community. We are pleased to continue to partner with the Division of Agriculture to honor this year’s Farm Family of the Year,” says Alaska State Fair CEO Jeff Curtis.
Scoresby adds, “I am proud to support Mike Mosesian, his children, and grandchildren for the Farm Family of the Year in 2025. Their forty-nine years of contribution to Alaska agriculture is impressive, innovative, and inspiring to all.”
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